I Want to Find

Jesse R Computer Whiz Turns to Clinical Trial for Cancer Care

"I knew that I could put my faith and trust in The Steeplechase Cancer
Center.”

Jesse Rubin, of Hillsborough, recently participated in a clinical trial
through The Steeplechase Cancer Center at Somerset Medical Center for
patients with colon cancer.

Jesse Rubin, an Internet engineer, is used to researching the latest trends
in technology. Since his job entails consistent computer use, it is no
surprise that when he was diagnosed with colon cancer in the beginning
of 2009, he turned to the Internet to find the latest technology available
for treatment.

“When I was diagnosed, I wanted to do as much research as I could,”
says Rubin, 37, of Hillsborough. “I saw that there were many positive
aspects to clinical research studies and the benefits outweighed the risks.”

A clinical trial is a research study that involves people who volunteer
to help doctors and researchers find better ways to prevent, treat or
diagnose diseases such as cancer. There are several types of cancer clinical
trials – some test new ways to treat cancer, others test new methods
of prevention, detection or diagnosis. Some clinical trials help evaluate
and improve the quality of life for cancer patients.

“Clinical trials are essential for the advancement of cancer treatment
and care,” says Kathleen Toomey, MD, medical director of The Steeplechase
Cancer Center at Somereset Medical Center. “Jesse was determined
to not only fight his cancer, but to do what he could to improve cancer
treatment for future generations.”

When Rubin researched national clinical trials, he was impressed to find
that one of his top two choices in trials was offered through The Steeplechase
Cancer Center at Somerset Medical Center, an affiliate of The Cancer Institute
of New Jersey (CINJ). The trial, for Stage III colon cancer, compared
three different combination chemotherapy treatments to determine if the
addition of the drug Cetuximab would improve the likelihood of living
at least three years without the recurrence of colon cancer.

While many people are hesitant to be part of a clinical trial, Rubin had
no misgivings.

“I knew that a lot of research went into each study and that many
of them have good results and are an important treatment option,”
says Rubin. “The trial gives you hope and makes you feel like progress
is being made.”

“This type of clinical trial (phase 3) involves several thousand
people around the country and sometimes even internationally,” explains
Siby Varughese, RN, MA, OCN, CCRP, clinical research manager. “Each
patient in the trial receives either the current best standard of treatment
or possibly the addition of another promising drug to see if it is beneficial.”

Every clinical trial in the United States must be approved and monitored
by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). Somerset Medical Center's
IRB – a multidisciplinary committee that includes physicians, nurses,
administrators, community members, pharmacists and clergy – meets
on a monthly basis to review clinical research protocols for scientific
merit and protect patients’ rights.

With the security of a closely monitored program, Rubin knew that the
trial was right for him. And, he had four reasons for getting better:
his wife and three children, including an infant who was delivered at
Somerset Medical Center three days before Christmas 2009.

“When I first found out that I had cancer, I thought that I should
go to a big Manhattan cancer center, but I knew that I could put my faith
and trust in The Steeplechase Cancer Center,” says Rubin.